The Kremlin has been able to make its decisions without public scrutiny, despite the disparate Russian elites jockeying for the president’s ear. Even those directly involved have no idea with whom else Putin may be consulting.

The deal, backed by leaders from Russia, Ukraine, France, and Germany, includes a withdrawal of heavy weapons and a prisoner exchange. But it also retains the problems that led to the collapse of a similar deal in September.

The German chancellor insists that diplomacy is the only way to resolve the worsening fighting in Ukraine, while US hawks argue that Kiev needs to be empowered to defend itself against the Russia-backed rebels.

The French and German leaders will then proceed to Moscow. NATO has also announced a 'spearhead' force that will deploy in the Baltics as a deterrent to what many in Europe see as growing Russian assertiveness.

Separatist leader Alexander Zakharchenko said he would recruit an additional 100,000 men to fight against Ukraine's government troops. Fighting has intensified in 2015 after a lull at the end of the year.

Dozens of civilians and at least seven Ukrainian soldiers died over the weekend amid a new wave of violence in eastern Ukraine. Western leaders have once again accused Moscow of supplying troops and weapons to the pro-Russian rebels.

The pro-Russia separatists' leader today declared a tenuous cease-fire dead, and threatened to advance against Kiev's forces. The move seems to put him at odds with Putin, who has been pushing peace talks.

Russia's Ministry of Culture is turning up pressure on the country's fledgling movie industry to be more patriotic and use less obscene language – demands that Oscar-nominated Russian film 'Leviathan' runs afoul of.

The surge in violence around Donetsk's airport between government forces and Russia-backed rebels looks like a return to war. But analysts say it may actually be diplomatic positioning ahead of future talks.

Both the Kremlin and the Russian public condemn the attacks last week on Charlie Hebdo. But they say that the magazine's mockery of Islam was just as unacceptable, and should have been censored by authorities.

Their two-week holiday at an end, Russians are once again confronted with low oil prices, a weakening ruble, and rocketing interest rates. And the Kremlin has yet to follow through on promised remedies.

The church, a minority faith in largely Orthodox Ukraine, has a long history of guarding the country's identity and independence. Now, it is doing so directly, by supplying ammo, medical kits, and armor to soldiers fighting in the east.